


Cooper

by viceversa



Series: Cooper [1]
Category: The X-Files
Genre: Cuteness overload, Early Series, F/M, Fluff, Nothing of Substance Here, a tiny kitten
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-28
Updated: 2018-02-02
Packaged: 2019-03-10 19:56:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13508670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/viceversa/pseuds/viceversa
Summary: Mulder is having a bad night, or is that a bad life? Feeling bummed out after a couple drinks, Mulder discovers something surprising (surprisingly fluffy that is!) in an alleyway that turns his night around and he manages to get Scully involved in the whole affair.Legitimately just an excuse to write out my mental image of Mulder taking care of an abandoned kitten, all fluff, no real plot or context. You're welcome.





	1. Beer, Rain, and Mystery Noises

This day turned out to be shit. It seemed to be part of a theme. The week was shit, the month was shit, the year, his life. It all seemed spiraling and dark and, well, shitty. The x files had been stagnating in recent months, every case ending up a dead end or a hoax or not worth their time and effort. Paperwork piled up around him and Scully to the point of suffocation, but all they could do was work through it in between the dead-end cases and hoaxes. It was just becoming pointless. Even his sketchy sources were dry, and the Gunmen hadn't given him anything new in ages. He had no motivation left in him.

  
Mulder sighed. It was Friday night and he was at a bar. He couldn't stomach the thought of going home with nothing new to work on, nothing to obsess over besides the same loose threads he'd been investigating for decades. The bar was little more to him than a change in scenery. He'd nursed a few beers already, and this one was steadily getting warmer as he sat and stared at the wood of the bar. More and more people were coming in as the night got later, all laughing and with friends. Mulder absently wondered was Scully was up to this weekend, and realized that they had barely spoken in the last few days save meaningless details about case files and coffee refills.

  
The bar was already too crowded for the mopey vibe he had going and the increased volume of happiness was grating on his nerves. Mulder nodded at the bartender, left a tip and got off his stool, giving up. He decided to walk home instead of driving, despite the distance, to waste a little more time. A light drizzle further set the scene of his mood, making him uncomfortably humid and chilled at the same time. Glum, thy name is Mulder.

  
The further away from the bar he got the less people he passed until he was the only one on the block. Despite the beer, he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep easily tonight and contemplated on going on a run to wear himself out, then decided running alone, at night, in the rain was too depressing even for him and decided to watch late night infomercials instead. What an exciting life he led.

  
A loud clang made him jump slightly and look at the alleyway where it originated. A dog started barking and snarling at something behind a dumpster. Mulder didn't hesitate to investigate. This was the most compelling thing to happen around him in weeks. It was a mystery! Anything could be down that alleyway! A dead body, a stack of stolen money, aliens!

  
Okay, maybe the alcohol had a little effect on his sensibilities after all.

  
The dog wasn't letting up, if anything it was getting louder as it had presumably cornered whatever caught its attention. Mulder had half a mind to grab it and see if it was lost or something, but as soon as it noticed Mulder it ran off and disappeared into the depths of the alley. It was darker back here than he realized and it took his eyes a moment to adjust and see more than shadows. Looking at the area where the dog had been, he didn't see the D.C. Devil, or a mothman victim in front of him. In fact, it seemed like there was nothing there at all. Ghosts? Nah, he should be so lucky. Fighting disappointment, Mulder almost left the alley as it started raining harder, but a sodden newspaper moved slightly just at the edge of the dumpster and caught his attention.

  
He took a few steps closer and managed to get his shoe wet in a hidden puddle. He had to move a few larger pieces of trash before he could get to the paper, and when he moved it away he was further surprised by the sight in front of him.

  
A tiny, dark-haired kitten, completely drenched and shaking, was staring back up at him in terror. Mulder froze. The first thought through his mind was inexplicably Sarah MacLauchlan's faint voice from an ASPCA commercial he must've seen a million times. He didn't know kittens could look this pathetic in real life! For god's sake, it looked so tiny and afraid, but it couldn't escape from the corner in was backed in to, likely when the little guy ran from the dog that was terrorizing it.

  
Its body was sort of contorted away from him, like it was afraid it was about to be attacked again, and part of Mulder's soul shattered at the sight. He moved a little closer and it gave a silent hiss at him that almost knocked him over in its adorable sadness. Okay, maybe the beers he had made him a little emotional, too. Yeah. We'll blame it on that.

  
"Hey little guy," said Mulder in what he hoped was a soothing voice to a scared cat. "Hey, it's okay, I got ya. No more big dog barking at you, yeah?"

  
He stooped a little lower, bracing one arm on the rough brick wall and scooped up the little animal with his free hand before it could try to make an escape. Instinctively he brought the kitten close to his chest and through the gap in his jacket to give it a little protection from the rain. He could feel it sink its tiny, needle like claws into his hand as it shivered, not knowing still if Mulder was friend or foe.

  
"Shhh, it's okay. I think. We'll see, little guy. Do you have a home someplace?"

  
Helplessly, Mulder squinted around the alley in the darkness, walking a little further in to see if the animal had just been separated from his mother or a cat family or whatever form stray cats hung out in in the rain-quickly he realized that it was a fruitless search.

  
"Okay, yeah, stupid question. I wouldn't want to live here either."

  
He stood still for a moment, the kitten still shivering in his arm, until a crack of thunder made him jump. He accidently squeezed the animal in his hand, causing it to squirm and squeak faintly until he let up the pressure. There was nothing to do except go home now that it was raining harder with the thunder and lightning overhead.

  
"Aw, little guy. I guess I'll just take you with me, yeah?" He made his way back toward the street. "Ok, that's right. Just calm down, ow stop that, there we go."

  
Miraculously, a cab appeared just in time for Mulder to flag it down. Did cabs take animals in them? Just to be safe he zipped up his jacket more with the kitten now attaching its claws to his shirt and braced his arm over the small bulge in his jacket as he got into the cab.

  
Well, this certainly was a change in his Friday night situation. What the hell was he going to do now with a tiny, sodden mess of a cat that, yes, smelled like the dumpster he found it by? There was no chance in hell he'd just toss the poor creature aside in this weather, he wasn't a monster for god's sake. And who knows if there were other dogs or mean animals waiting to eat the helpless animal. He couldn't imagine going to an animal shelter either. It hardly looked old enough to take care of itself, especially in the middle of the city, and he wasn't sure where a shelter would even be, or if they would treat the kitten well.

  
A few faint meows luckily escaped the notice of the driver as Mulder tried to shush the wet bundle in his jacket. He silently accepted his new role as a cat owner as he felt the little thing squirm inside his jacket.

  
The cab pulled up to the curb just as the kitten nestled a little closer and started to purr against the heat of his chest. Mulder awkwardly paid the driver and stumbled out into the rain again, protectively supporting the kitten as he jogged up to his building and went inside. He rushed up and to his door, half excited to take a good look at his new little friend and half wondering what the hell he'd gotten himself into this time.


	2. Blood, Fishes, and Elvis?

Mulder let the door fall shut behind him and made a beeline towards the kitchen. Careful so as not to pull on any fur, he unzipped his jacket and plopped the wet form onto the small counter in front of him, keeping one hand around it so it would stay put.

"Okay, hi there. I'm Mulder. You are a cat. A tiny cat. In my apartment. Alrighty then." Mulder looked around, a little lost, and then back to the little thing in front of him.

God it was cute, thought Mulder. The thing was still shivering probably due to the rain just as much as fright. It had gray fur, starting to curl around his neck and on his tail-Mulder had a quick thought and flipped the cat over slightly in his hand. It was indeed a boy cat. Well. He thought it was anyway, he'd ever had to identify the sex of a cat before. He sat it upright again.

"Um."

The shaking form gave a plaintive mewing noise and stared back at Mulder, dripping steadily onto the countertop. Mulder noticed a faint red in the water pooling around it and carefully looked over the small form for a wound of some sort.

"Aw, buddy, are you hurt?"

There was a small gash on his front right leg, starting on the side and curving around to the back. It didn't seem to be bleeding heavily, but was still glistening with fresh blood and rainwater. Sure enough, the wet patch on his chest had a small bloodstain as well. Think, think, think! It meowed again, a little more desperately, looking around at its new surroundings and still shivering under Mulder's grip. The alleyway smell wafted up from it again. Mulder figured that a warm bath was what it needed, to help the smell and clean out the little wound too.

Mulder lifted the cat to his chest again, not wanting it to fall off of the counter as he moved around. He turned on the warm water in the sink and contemplated soap-they used dish soap on animals on TV right?

Okay, he was panicking a little. Or a lot. He looked down at the increasing meowing-this must be what it feels like when you're holding a baby and it starts to cry. Except there is no mother to hand it off to, he's alone, and it's a cat. It's still an alive thing, currently trying its best to draw blood from his hand at the sound of running water. Shit, cats don't like water do they!?

"Aw, jeez buddy. Well, hey. This still needs to happen. It's okay, it's okay, don't freak out," he soothed the cat as he shifted it closer and closer to the water.

Mulder took his chances and put the cat into the sink under the gentle spray. Luckily it relaxed under the warmth and Mulder clumsily washed the tiny thing, becoming smaller as its fur flattened again in the water. He kept talking to it as his voice seemed to help calm it down a little, and the warm water helped too. It was a quick bath, and soon all the soap was washed out and the water ran clear. He shut off the water, grabbed a towel and wrapped up the little guy carefully so as not to crush its limbs or hurt it at all.

The once dull, stagnant, lame culmination of his week had turned around into a weird place where he was cuddling a tiny kitten in his kitchen, still dripping wet himself, and suffering from a mild case of cuteness overload every time the thing squirmed or mewled under his caresses.

"All right, little dude. Much better, yeah?"

After a few minutes he exchanged the damp towel with a fresh one from under his sink. After he tossed the wet one on the counter he noticed blood again, a little more than he thought would be there, and he panicked a little. The poor guy needed some medical attention! Panic, again, surfaced among the weirdly swirling emotions coursing through his veins, aided not a little by adrenaline mixed with beer.

Luckily, he knew a doctor willing to make house calls.

"You're in good hands, little guy, or you're about to be anyway."

Mulder made his way into the living room with the kitten in his arms. He was settling down, now warm and feeling safe being closely held in Mulder's arms, probably exhausted from his whirlwind evening. Tamping down some overwhelming parental feeling that comes with having a living thing in his arms, Mulder carefully reached for his cell that he had left on the desk all day and hit the speed dial for Scully.

" _Scully_."

"Scully it's me," started Mulder.

_"Mulder what do you want? I was just about to take a bath."_

"Disregarding that lovely imagery for a moment, do you have any other plans for this evening?" Mulder could hear water shut off in the background underneath Scully's sigh.

_"What did you do."_

"Nothing! Nothing bad, anyway. I just sort of need you to come over, I need your help I think" said Mulder. The kitten started squirming and he had to contort his body to keep it in his arms. "And, ah!-and bring your medical bag? Just the small one."

_"What! Mulder, are you hurt? I can-"_

"Nah-oh jeez! Hey don't do that! I gotta go, it's escaping. See you soon." Mulder hung up and tossed the phone onto the couch so he could use both hands to keep the little one from escaping and causing more trouble for them all in the process. Somewhat guiltily, he looked toward his fish tank, fully realizing the possible implication in bringing a cat into his apartment. "Sorry, guys. We'll just have to train him to behave."

As he waited on Scully to get there, never thinking she wouldn't show up, he sat down on the couch and looked at the cat again in the light of the living room. As its fur started to dry in earnest, he could see that its fur was a light gray color all over, and a little long. It had bright yellow eyes and white whiskers and a tail that looked entirely too long for its body. The kitten, pleased at being able to stand again instead of held against Mulder's chest, explored the couch area as Mulder kept a close eye on it. He noticed that it wasn't dripping blood or limping too much, so he relaxed a little more.

"I guess you need a name, little guy. And a lot of other stuff too. What do cats need anyway?" The cat stopped at the end of the couch and curled into a ball in the corner, looking out into the room.

"Litter box, food, water-the whole shebang yeah?" Mulder paused again, the event of the evening starting to sink again further. He shifted, pulling off his jacket and his movement caused the cat to jump a little before settling back down. "Yeah, you've had a rough night buddy. Is Buddy a good name for a cat? Nah, seems more like a dog's name." Mulder spoke to it using the discarded towel to dry his own hair a little.

Mulder looked around his apartment, wondering if cat-proofing was a thing and if he needed to do it. Maybe just to move the breakables away from edges of things, and to keep the fish tank's cover snug on the tank. As he went around the main room shifting knick-knacks and dirty coffee mugs around he continued to talk to the cat.

"Elvis? Elvis is a good name for anything. Are you an Elvis?" He looked back at the form on his couch and saw that it had snuggled down into his jacket that he'd left on the cushion. "Nah, Elvis doesn't feel right. Besides, three of the fish are already named Elvis, we don't need them to be more offended." Mulder sat down at his desk, angling the chair toward the couch so he could keep an eye on the kitten. "I've always thought that Toby sounded like a cat name, but you're too young to be called Toby. I had a neighbor once who had a cat named Merlin, which was kinda cool, but you don't look magical enough. No offense. You're more…mysterious." Mulder paused for a second.

"Oh! I've got it! Cooper! You can be called Cooper. After the man of mystery, D.B. Cooper, of course. That's a cool enough name for a mysterious thing that sort of dropped from the sky like you. Cooper."

The tiny cat, now named, twitched his too-big ears at the sound of his new human speaking to him, and then again at the sound of the door opening, but didn't stir from within the warm place he had found, curled up in the scent of Mulder's warm jacket.


	3. Cooper, Queequeg, and Spaceships

Scully walked in the door, half expecting to find Mulder bleeding out on the floor and half expecting him not to be there at all. She was pissed enough that, at either outcome, she was ready to smack him for ruining her perfectly decent night. She had planned a bath, she had opened wine, she didn't have to wear a bra the entire weekend, and she was missing it because Mulder said he needed her. Dammit, but she was powerless when he called. She would never forgive herself if she actually needed her help and she didn't show up.

"Alright Mulder, where's the emergency?" Scully said.

Mulder, sitting at his desk, looked completely normal. Well, a little damp, but not really worse than usual. He recognized her tone as 'angry Scully, tread lightly,' but was still riding the high of beer and cat heroism. He pointed at the couch. "Your patient, Dr. Scully."

Scully glanced at the couch and didn't see anyone there. "What are you talking about Mulder?" Jesus, was he hallucinating? Just as she was about to ask, he got up and leaned over the couch and grabbed, wait, his jacket? 

"I know you're not a vet, Scully, but this doesn't seem too serious." He turned around to reveal what he was holding. Is that--? 

"A cat? Seriously Mulder? What in the-"

"Scully," he cut her off. "I'd like you to meet Cooper!" He extended his arms. 

"Mulder," said Scully, making eye contact. "Why are you holding a cat, at me?"

The outraged look on Mulder's face should've made her laugh, but she was still teetering on the edge of being pissed off. Really, a freaking cat? That's what disrupted her perfectly lovely, although lonely, evening? 

Said cat meowed in protest when Mulder brought the furry thing to his chest. "Scully! His name is Cooper, thank you, and he needs your help. His leg is hurt." Mulder moved past her into the kitchen. "Come on, the light's better in here."

Scully stood where she was for a minute, just trying to count to ten to avoid drop kicking Mulder out his living room window. It worked, barely, and she followed the saddest parade in existence into the rarely used kitchen. He had placed the small animal on the counter and was looking at its leg closely. Scully plopped her small bag with medical supplies close to the cat and leaned in. 

"What seems to be the problem, Cooper?" she said pointedly. 

"He's got a gash on his leg, here, see?" He gently lifted him again and moved his leg to show her in the light. "It was bleeding earlier, but I think it's stopped. Cooper here was bravely facing down an evil alley dog when I found him earlier." Mulder's chest puffed up a little at this detail.

Scully examined the wound, shifting into her rarely-used-on-live-patients doctor mode as she got close to the cat. The wound wasn't deep and was likely fine, but she decided to clean it out and wrap it up so it wouldn't get infected. She worked through the pervasive 'is this really what I'm doing with my life' thoughts as they came to her, gently tugging on the cat's paw each time it pulled away. 

At least she got some quality time with Mulder this way-the last few weeks had been full of meaningless platitudes about the weather and paperwork between them and she felt that they were drifting apart. Scully had Mulder hold the cat as it was squirming more and more as she worked on it. She put the finishing touches on the wrap and Mulder relaxed. 

"The Scullys are dog people, you know," she said. "I don't think I've even been this close to a cat before."

Mulder released the cat on the floor and watched as it sniffed and examined its new wrap on his leg. "That mop you had was not a dog, Scully. It was a large rat with a taste for human flesh."

Mulder sort of had a point, not that she would admit to it. She missed Queequeg, the poor little thing. "Shut up Mulder. Queequeg was a good dog and I miss him. Besides, this thing," she pointed at the tiny kitten on the floor, "is more of a rat than he was. It's probably got mange or something. You said you found it in an alleyway?"

"Scully how dare you!" Mulder gesticulated wildly. "This cat is a victim! I will not have him insulted in his sanctuary! Besides, he's all clean now."

Scully decided not to argue with him as she repacked her bag. "Sure, fine, whatever Mulder. Can I go back home now?"

"Fine, Scully, just abandon us. We'll be fine," Mulder teased. "Cooper and I-wait, where'd he go?"

Scully turned around just in time to catch Mulder's slightly panicked face. 

"Scully he disappeared!" Mulder started looking around semi-frantically. 

"I doubt the thing-" Mulder glared at her, "I doubt Cooper just disappeared. He probably went exploring or something."

"Help me look for him Scully, he could be lost!"

Before Scully could reply he was searching the rest of the small apartment. Sighing, she followed him around and half-heartedly look around and under furniture. "How exactly did you find this tiny thing in an alley again?"

"Oh, Scully, I thought you'd never ask." He regaled her with the tale, embellishing a little here and there but ultimately getting the gist of it across as he finally spotted his new fluffy friend wedged between the TV stand and the wall, presumably very comfortable. He left him alone and joined Scully on the couch where she had given up the search minutes earlier. 

"Looks like he was tired of being held by humans for a bit," said Mulder, settling close to her. This was the closest they had been in ages, and the most relaxed and casual in even longer. It was refreshing.

"So you're going to keep him?" she asked, looking up at him.

Mulder looked a little startled. "Yeah. Yeah I am." 

Scully looked at Mulder and was struck by the soft look on his face. He was as soft as the kitten he had so bravely saved in the rain, or whatever it is he did. Scully got a sudden flash of intuition-Mulder must be as lonely as a person can be sometimes. She was suddenly extremely thankful for this cat appearing in his life, maybe it would do him some good.

"Well, you're going to need some supplies. It looks like Cooper piddled in the floor over there. Thought I'd leave it for you to clean up, cat dad."

Mulder sheepishly moved to clean up the mess. "You're right. I need supplies. Where's the nearest pet store?"

Scully knew from her experience with Queequeg and told him. Implicitly she knew that she'd be going along with him for the evening. 

"Should I bring Cooper with me?" Mulder asked. "Do you think he'd be okay alone here?"

"I think he'll be fine. Let's do this so we can get back."

Mulder smiled at Scully coming with him. He guessed that she didn't have much planned this weekend either. This is just what he needed for sure, and he was sure she was happy to have some company that wasn't just paperwork too. Also, she was half sure that Mulder would walk out of there with mostly unnecessary items and without the essentials, and she couldn't do that to the poor cat.

Scully drove to the store. Inside, they were immediately overwhelmed at the selection in the multiple aisles marked "cat." They supposed that cats did need more supplies than dogs since they were inside all the time. 

Mulder disappeared down the first aisle marked "Cats" and Scully took a deep breath in the too-bright store and followed him with a shopping cart. 

"Look Scully!" Mulder turned to her and held up a collar with a tiny bell on it. "It has spaceships on it! It's perfect! And he won't get lost again in the apartment." Mulder tossed it in the cart and excitedly move on down the aisle toward cat toys. 

Affectionately, Scully rolled her eyes. She mentally prepared a list of everything they'd actually need for Cooper. She just knew they'd be up and down every aisle of the cat section at least twice before Mulder was satisfied, and secretly she was excited too. This cat seemed to add a new dynamic to Mulder and her already, and she didn't quite know how to define it. All she could do is look forward to whatever may come.


	4. Shopping, Leroy, and Hugs Gone Rogue

The cart was soon overfull with everything they could possibly imagine Cooper needing. Litterbox, scoop, pellet litter (it's better for the environment, Mulder), canned cat food, dry food, treats, a brush, toys upon toys, a litter mat, an overpriced bed, bowls for food and water, a mat for the bowls, a tiny nametag with Mulder's information on it, and an untold number of random and ridiculous things that Mulder had surreptitiously thrown in the cart along the way.

Scully was actually having fun shopping with Mulder. She expected it to be boring, or even confrontational like taking a kid through a candy store, but instead Mulder was just… Mulder. He was goofy and adorable and excited about taking care of this cat as a new aspect of his life. It was so easy just spending time with him, which is something they hadn't done in a while. As they made their way through the store, Scully could feel herself opening up to him again, laughing freely and making stupid jokes again. 

God it was nice to have this part of their friendship back.

Of course, Scully did have a tough time pulling Mulder away from the other pets at the store. 

"But what if Coop gets lonely Scully!"

"I doubt he needs a bird to keep him company."

"But what about-" 

"Or a lizard, or snake, or bunny, or, what the hell even is that? A chinchilla! Put that thing down, Mulder!"

"Fine, Scully. But I don't want to see you complain when I end up taking him to the office with us to keep him company," Mulder threatened. 

Scully could see that he meant it, and secretly thought having a cat in the office would liven up their paperwork-laden days. "He'll have your fish, right? That'll be entertainment enough. And you can always have the boys come over to feed him."

"My fish! God I hope he's not in the tank with Elvis, Elvis, Elvis, and Leroy right now, that'd be a mess. Oh yeah-I need fish food! Be right back."

Mulder dashed toward the fish part of the store leaving Scully to mutter (Leroy?) under her breath. Mulder was soon back and they headed toward the front. 

Disregarding the Leroy name mystery, Scully changed the topic. "Have you ever had a cat, Mulder? Or has it just been fish all these years?"

Mulder started transferring all the items to the conveyor belt and ignored the wide-eyed look of the salesperson. "Well, there was a cat or two that hung around the house in Quonochontaug but I never really messed with them. I didn't even have fish until I started at the bureau." He thought for a moment, starting to put the bags in the cart after he paid for all of it. They made their way outside to the car.

"I sort of had a dog, once, with, uh-" He cut off. 

"With who, Mulder?" Scully asked. She suspected, but still wanted the story. 

They both started loading everything in the trunk of her car and he spoke again once they were inside. "With Phoebe. We, um, lived together for a while back in England. It was technically her dog, and, Scully I swear it was evil, and she made me take care of it. It was this tiny, ancient terrier that hated me and everyone except for her-I still have a scar on my ankle from where it attacked me one time." He shuddered comically, causing Scully to smile. 

"Sounds bad," she laughed a little. "So, Cooper is your first official pet, then-congratulations. Well, aside from the fish. If fish are really pets."

Mulder looked mock offended again. "Real pets? Scully how dare you insult my fish! I care deeply for the Elvises and Leroy!"

"Hey Mulder, what's with the name Leroy anyway?" asked Scully.

Mulder refused to give her a straight answer, making up ridiculous stories until Scully laughed each one of them off. They continued their banter about pets on the way back to Mulder's, and even in the elevator weighed down by bags of supplies (they refused to make two trips), Mulder started attacking Queequeg again, much to the eye rolling of Scully. 

"Whatever, Mulder," said Scully as she pushed in through the door. "Maybe we can bring Cooper along on the next case involving a huge, carnivorous sea creature and see what happens then."

"Don't even go there, Scully! Coop's been through enough already, isn't that right little guy?" Mulder tossed his bags on the couch and picked up Cooper from where he was meowing at all the commotion from the floor. "He's a man of mystery!"

Mulder started petting and cooing at the fluffy kitten (Aren't you a little man of mystery! Yes you are!) in his arms and Scully was overcome by what an adorable picture they made. A man and his cat. A man with biceps big enough that his shirtsleeves were straining against them a little as he held the delicate kitten in his hands. Something in Scully's stomach jumped at the sight, and a bigger part of her was jealous of the kitten.

Making herself useful, and to have something to do besides just staring at Mulder, Scully set up the mat and food and water dishes in the kitchen. Mulder followed her in with Cooper still in his arms and set him down as soon as there was food in the bowl. Mulder got down on his knees next to him to help corral him toward the bowls. Cooper took a cursory sniff of the kitten chow and then immediately inhaled his portion. 

"Aw, he loves it!" said Mulder. "Little guy must've been starving." He quickly filled up the bowl again and turned back to Scully, still kneeling on the floor. 

Scully looked down at him and couldn't stifle a smile at the sight-he looked like he wanted her approval. She let out a soft laugh and extended her hand toward him. "Come on, we've still got things to unpack. He'll likely need his litter box soon."

Mulder took her hand unnecessarily and got up, but didn't let go as he tugged her into the living room. Scully didn't pull away either as they stood in front of his couch and surveyed the large pile of things they had just bought. 

"We maybe went a little overboard here," laughed Mulder. 

A bag resettled on the couch and a squeaky mouse hit the floor, making a ridiculous noise as it rolled under the coffee table. Scully started giggling-at the mouse, at Mulder's laugh, at this whole damn evening pet shopping with her best friend. 

She looked over at Mulder through her giggles and saw his amusement at her reaction. After they both calmed down, there was a beat of silence until Mulder turned her to face him, their hands still together. "Thank you, Scully, for tonight. For coming over and everything. I don't think I've said that yet."

Scully smiled wide and nodded, maintaining eye contact. "Of course, Mulder. You know I'll always come running when you call. Even when it involves a mystery cat."

Mulder looked at her seriously, still with a light smile on his face. "I know, Scully." Suddenly and slowly at the same time, he reached out his other arm and slid it around Scully's back, taking her into his arms and hugging her. Scully was immediately filled with warmth, content to be in his arms just as the cat had been minutes before.

They reveled in the moment for a while longer than any of their previous hugs. Scully catalogued feeling his body against hers, the faint smell of damp cat and something distinctly Mulder under his t-shirt. There was no dire situation to get back to, nothing sad or horrible had just happened-they were just together and happy. 

"Scully," muttered Mulder into her hair. "Don't be alarmed. But there is something crawling up my leg."

Scully looked down and, sure enough, little Cooper was using his claws to climb up Mulder's jeans with little effort. She huffed out a laugh-this situation was almost too cute for her to handle, but she didn't move away from his arms. "Maybe," she said quietly, looking up "maybe if we don't move it'll go away." Suddenly the temperature rose about 15 degrees and Scully flushed at the implication of her words.

Mulder smiled down at her and increased the tension of his arms around her. "Good idea," he said softly. 

Scully might have dreamed Mulder leaning in a little closer to her face when suddenly Cooper's head popped over his shoulder and let out a triumphant meow. They both jumped and loosened their hold on one another until Mulder was just holding the cat again, Scully still close enough to feel Mulder's warmth. Scully gently reached out and took Cooper's injured paw into her hand, brushing against Mulder's arm as she inspected the bandage.

It was a happy addition to the scene, a sweet one even, when Mulder didn't let her back away and instead leaned down to kiss her forehead. It was a happier moment, a perfect one even, when Scully happened to look up at the same time with a quip on the tip of her tongue, and instead met his mouth gently with her own.


	5. Kisses, Emotions, and Hurricane Cooper

Of course it would be an accidental move that finally allowed them to kiss. Nothing had been planned or purposeful in any aspect of their relationship moving forward thus far-it was all up to random events. Until now, each milestone was painful and traumatizing, strengthening their bond of trust and friendship through trial. Now this-a cat and a bad week leading to a comfortable night and a lingering, warm press of lips between them, all leading to the mutual thought of finally. 

A full minute passed since their lips met. The first few seconds had both of them freezing, gauging one another's reaction. When neither pulled apart or fled, one of them moved and a gentle kiss turned warmer in motion. 

Scully was transfixed. Her eyes had been open since the beginning, speech still on the tip of her tongue, but as soon as Mulder tilted his head she responded in turn, closing her eyes and leaning into the chaste kiss. It felt natural, right, like coming home. 

Her hands were still grasping his arm under the cat, who subsequently jumped down from his arms as he moved them around her and she moved her hands to his chest, pressing them up along his shirt to his strong shoulders, bringing them both closer together.

Mulder broke off first, just moving his head back and keeping Scully in his arms. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Instead, he just smiled uncontrollably at the blissed look on Scully's face.

Scully spoke first, in a low tone betraying the effect the kiss had on her. "Hell of a thank you, Mulder."

Mulder huffed out a laugh and smiled wider. "I do what I can." 

For a moment they reveled in their embrace, then mutually let go of one another, turning back to the mess on the couch and wordlessly starting to set up everything. Mulder took the litter supplies into his bathroom, and Scully found places for Cooper's new bed and toys. 

Both of them worked in silence, taking an unnecessarily long time in placing the new items around the apartment. Cooper flitted between the two of them, interested in the new smells they brought with them and learning where his things were. 

This fake calm after the kiss was short lived in reality.

Scully's mind was racing. She had just kissed Mulder. Fucking finally! But was that all? Was it just going to be a one-off between close friends? Or was it going to be awkward for a while? Would they try to forget it and move on? Or, even worse, would Mulder confront her and say that he didn't want anything else from her? Jesus, this was too much. Scully felt like she was in middle school again, kissing a boy during recess and freaking out to her friends. She took a deep breath, reminding herself that she was an adult, dammit, and that she could handle this.

Meanwhile, Mulder's train of thought was going down similar paths, but his ultimate goal was to kiss her again, maybe this time with tongue. And keep kissing her, preferably for the rest of their lives. But he was also panicking, thinking that the kiss was just between friends, and that Scully would gracefully leave as soon as she could. He had to keep her here-he had the worst feeling that if she left now that this was all they'd ever have.

Scully was just about to break the silence and ask Mulder what the hell the kiss really meant when Mulder suddenly reappeared in the living room and spoke. 

"Want something to drink?" he said, a little too loudly, and quickly disappeared into the kitchen.

"Yeah, sure," she replied, straightening up from adjusting a small scratching post near the fish tank. Scully sank into the couch just as Mulder came back in the room with two open beers. Serious talk time was upon them and they both felt it.

He sat on the middle cushion, as close to her as he could get, and handed her the drink. They sat in silence for a moment, both nursing their beers and watching Cooper watch the fish tank with interest. 

"I-" 

"Mul-"

They spoke at the same time. 

"Ladies first," said Mulder quickly. 

Scully took a deep breath and an even deeper pull of her beer. "The, uh. Earlier. That was nice."

Mulder looked straight ahead. "I agree."

"Good. What are your, um, thoughts concerning the, uh-" Scully took another drink, almost done with her bottle. "Potential recurrence of said nice event in the future." She felt the heat rise in her cheeks and cringed a little from her stilted language. Get it together, woman!

Mulder laughed under his breath a little, matching her beer intake in a few gulps and setting the empty bottle on the coffee table with a thunk. "I am pro said recurrence. Do I need to fill out a form, Dr. Scully? Or is a verbal agreement okay?" he teased, turning to face her. 

Scully's blush deepened, but her resolve doubled thanks to quickly finishing her beer and to Mulder's comment. Suddenly, she found herself straddled over Mulder with her face hovering above his, with his large hands warm on her waist. "I didn't bring any official documents with me, but we-" She was cut off by his mouth. 

This time there was no hesitation, only passion and a burning flame of happiness growing between them. Scully felt like a teenager making out like they were, but she didn't really mind. Hands travelled through hair and up and down sides and thighs, and gently caressing faces as their tongues met and dueled to their satisfaction.

Eventually, they had to break apart in order to breath properly, and Scully leaned over to the side to sit next to Mulder again with one leg still bent across his thighs. Mulder tilted toward her and they smiled, both panting lightly. 

"Scully?"

"Yeah Mulder?"

"I want you to know something, and it's really important."

Scully made eye contact with him again. "Alright, lay it on me." 

Mulder leered at that remark and Scully rolled her eyes. She reached out and grabbed one of his hands before he could make a lewd comment, tugging it toward her chest and holding it there. 

Mulder smiled widely again, smiling was contagious between them. "Scully Scully Scully," he half sang as he gave her soft kisses on her face, bubbling with happiness. Scully's nose scrunched up, too happy for words and reveling in it-he was totally blissed out, they both were. "Scully, you're my best friend," he began, sobering his speech. 

Scully steeled herself, this was obviously going to be a serious emotion-sharing speech. Long time coming, she thought, but no less tense to listen to. 

"That's incredibly important to me. I don't even know if I've had a best friend before you. Sure I've had the guys, but they're…"

"They're different," Scully supplied. 

"Yes. Different. And you, you're-you're my Scully. And I feel like I'm vomiting out my emotions, but it's been a bit of a week, Scully, so bear with me and please don't hightail it out of here."

Scully laughed, pleased at hearing him claim her as his. She felt like she was his, and vice versa. "Don't worry, I'm listening."

"Anyway, Scully." He cleared his throat, pulling her hands back and forth between them in an unconscious motion. "I don't want to mess that up, with whatever this is going to turn out to be. I can't lose you over something that shouldn't've been, or that we both don't want."

"I agree," Scully said seriously too, waiting for him to continue. 

Mulder was silent for a beat. "What, Scully, you're going to make me do all the talking and the vulnerable emotions and stuff? Come on!"

"Hey you started it Mulder-but I like the direction you're going in." She raised his hand and kissed his knuckles lightly. "Continue."

Mulder sighed but relaxed. "Alright. Well. Us." She nodded. "Moving forward? Romantically?" She nodded again, smiling indulgently. "I want that. I'm all in, Scully. I want to be with you and take you on probably horrible dates and forget our anniversaries and argue about our families and, more recently added to the list, I want us to raise this tiny kitten together-" he laughed "-I want it all. Everything. All in." 

Mulder waited for a response, but not for long. Scully reached up with her free hand and brought his head down to hers for a deep, slow kiss that he felt from his mouth down to his toes and back. She pulled back after a moment. 

"Me too." 

Mulder looked like he was going to say something again, but Scully cut of his reply with a sharp gasp. "Cooper! No!" she exclaimed, sitting up. "Don't you dare!" 

Mulder quickly spun around to find Cooper and saw him crouching under the fish tank, waggling his tail ready to jump. "Cooper," he said in a low warning voice. 

Cooper didn't seem to acknowledge either of them aside from a quick flick of his ears, singularly focused on the swirling water and flashing forms above him. Before Mulder or Scully could move to intercept, Cooper tensed and sprang up-only to immediately slip on the hardwood floor, thudding falling on his side ungracefully before bouncing back up.

The sudden movement startled Cooper and he tore off in a wild frenzy the likes of which only cats can partake in. Mulder and Scully followed his motion, their heads bobbing back and forth comically and Cooper sprinted from one end of the apartment to the other, their hands still entwined. 

"That one is definitely yours, Mulder."

"I don't know whether to be insulted or proud," he replied. "But I'll settle for you spending the night tonight."

Scully's positive reply was cut off by Cooper vaulting into their laps and knocking them back by surprise. This was set to be an exciting weekend for all three of them.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This is my first fic in a WHILE and my first txf fic ever - please let me know how I'm doing!


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